Collapsible supporting devices for drop leaves



y 5, 1960 P. s. GASTON 2,943,896

COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORTING DEVICES FOR DROP LEAVES Filed Jan. 23, 1959 I //7 en/0r:

Pou/ 5. 605/2 COLLAPSIBLE SUPPORTING DEVICES FOR DROP LEAVES Paul S. Gaston, Washington, D.C., assignor to Macinar, Inc., Washington, D.C., a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 23, 1959, Ser. No. 788,611

3 Claims. (Cl. 311-19) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in collapsible supporting devices employed for sustaining in an operative, usually horizontal position various forms of drop leaves, such devices being of the general type disclosed in my prior Patent No. 2,743,976, issued May 1, 1956.

The principal object of the present invention is to substantially improve the structural arrangement of devices of this type so that they may be more conveniently and economically manufactured and more easily and quickly installed without requiring the use of special tools or special skill.

The device disclosed in my aforementioned prior patent embodies a mounting plate secured to the underside of a drop leaf which has a depending member or rail at one edge thereof hinged to a side support; a plurality of foldable struts extending from the mounting plate to the side support for sustaining the drop leaf in a horizontal position; and means carried by the mounting plate for unlocking the struts so that they may be folded to facilitate lowering of the drop. leaf to a vertical, inoperative position adjacent the side support.

An important feature of the present invention resides in the provision of novel hinge means for connecting the drop leaf to the side support without the use of the aforementioned depending member or rail, which hinge means also permit the side support to be extended above the level of the drop leaf, if so desired, thus providing a back panel or rail for the drop leaf. As such, the hinge means are also adapted for use with drop leaves and side supports of various sizes and may be easily applied thereto without involving special fitting.

Another important feature of the present invention resides in the provision of materially simplified means for connecting the aforementioned struts to'the mounting plate, while another important feature involves the provision of improved means for unlocking the struts.

Some of the advantages of the invention reside in its simplicity and in its eflicient and dependable operation.

With the foregoing more important objects and features in view and such other objects and features as may become apparent as this specification proceeds, the invention will be understood from the following descriptiontaken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference are used to designate like parts, and wherein:

Figure 1 is an underside plan view of the present invention shown in association with a drop leaf and side PP Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the same on an enlarged scale and illustrating the collapsed position by dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale, taken substantially in the plane of the line 3-3 in Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the hinges;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional detail, taken sub- United States Patent O stantially in the plane of the line 5-5 in Figure 1, also on an enlarged scale; "and v t Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective view, on an enlarged scale, showing one end'portion of the unlocking bar or rod. Referring now to the accompanying drawings in detail, the collapsible supporting device is designated generally by the reference numeral 10 and is used for sustaining a drop leaf 11 in an operative, horizontal position relative to a wall mounted side support panel 12.

The drop leaf 11 is connected at one edge thereof to the side support 12 by a pair of hinges 13, each of which includes, as is best shown in Figure 4, a flat leaf 13a and an L-shaped leaf 13b joined by a hinge pin 13a; The fiat leaves 13a of the hinges are secured to the side support 12 by suitable screws 14, while the augulated portions of the L-shaped leaves 13b are secured to the underside of the drop leaf 11 by the screws 15. Thus, the L- shaped hinge leaves 13b serve, to space the hinge pins- 130 from the underside of the drop leaf and when the latter is lowered or swung downwardly from its .ho r i zontal, operative position, it assumes avertical position adjacent but spaced from the side support 12, as shown by the dotted lines in 'Figure 2. This spacing of the lowered drop leaf from the side support facilitates accommodation of the device 10 therebetween when the drop leaf is lowered. v

T he upper edge of the side support 12 may termi: nate at the level of the drop leaf when the latter is horizontal, or the side support may project upwardly beyond that level, so as to form a back panel or rail for the drop leaf, as indicated at 12a, the presence or absence of this back panel or rail being determined by the positioning of the hinges 13 on the side support. 7

.Thesupporting device 10 embodiesinits construction a mounting plate 16 which .is secured by suitable screws 17 to the underside of the drop leaf 11, while a plurality of foldable struts 18 extend obliquely from the plate to the side support 12.- The struts 18 are of conventional construction, each consisting of two .sections having a pivot joint 18a which is self-locking in'that it retains the strut sections extended when they are longitudinally aligned, but permits the sections to fold when the strut is buckled at the joint under application of force acting generally in the direction of the arrow 19. The lower ends of the struts 18 are connected by pivot pins 20 to mounting brackets 21 which are secured by suitable screws to the side support 12 at or adjacent the lower edge of the latter, while the upper ends of the struts are connected by pivot pins 22 to pairs of apertured ears 23 which are struck out from the plate 16, as is best shown in Figure 5. The several pivot pins 18a, 20, 22 are located in coordination with the hinge pins 13a in such manner as to permit the struts 18 to fold and unfold during lowering and raising of the drop leaf 11.

The means for bucking or breaking the struts to facilitate their folding consists of a rod 24 which has a U-shaped intermediate portion and a pair of coaxial end portions 24a, the latter being pivotally mounted in suitable apertures formed in the struts 18, as shown. The rod 24 extends between and connects together the struts and the U-shaped intermediate portion of the rod is engageable with a pair of transversely spaced, V- shaped detents 25 which are struck out from the plate 16. A rod-shaped unlocking bar 26 is slidably disposed in apertured lugs 27, 28 struck out-from the plate 16, the bar 26 being located centrally between and inparallel with the struts 18 and being provided at its outer end with a downturned portion carrying a hand knob 29. The inner end portion of the bar is flattened as indicated at 26a and terminates in a bevelled end 26b which engages the mid portiOn of the aforemen- I -1:ioned rod 24, asshown "in Figures '1 and 3. Thus, when the hand knob 29 is pushed in the direction of the arrow cause -U-shaped intermediate portion ofthe rod 24 to move past the detents -25and the end 'portions 24a ofthe wilil'eause the struts '18 to buckle at the IBm' tBerehy facilitating" "lowering ofxt'he drop detents 25 when the struts become locked in their extended position, =tlrussus'taining the drop leaf 1-1 :in the horizontal plane. t

The intermediate portion of the rod 24 *is'nrged into abutment with the detents 25 by a pair of tension springs 31' iwhichfare connected to-the rod at one end thereof and are anchored at-their other end to keepers 32 struck V out from the plate 16,, *thesprings' 31 tending to pull the intermediate portion of the rod 24 in the direction of the strutpivots"22,-as will he clearlyapparent, A pair 2 of transverselyspac'ed, strap-like keeper members 33am struck outffrom the plate 16 adjacent the detents 25 and are angulated substantially ;as shown. *The intermediate portion of therod '24 extends through the space between the detents 25 and the keeper members 33; so

that 'thefintermediate"portion of the rod .ispr'evented by disposed in mutually spaced relation transverselyiof said mounting plate and extending obliquely'therefrom V I to a side support, means pivotally connecting upper ends "30, the sliding of the bar 26 in the same direction will 7 leaf 11. On the other hand, when the drop leaf is raised 7 t by hand to'itsjhorizontal positiomthe intermediatepor- 'tion of-the rod '24 will resume its abutment with the of said struts to the mounting plate, means provided at V the lower ends of the struts for, pivotally connecting the sameto a side support, said struts being automatically lockable in their drop. supporting position, and

means for unlocking the struts .to ,faoilitate foldinglthere of and lowering of the drop 'lcai, saidl'ast mentioned means comprising a substantially U-shaped rod, a pair 7 ot'coaxial end portions provided on said rod and ipltvotially connected to said istruts, a :detent provided on :said

" mounting plate and engageable by the bightportion of said rod when the drop leaf is raised, said bight portion of'the rod being 'movaoleibeyond said detent to effect folding of said struts, an unlocking bar slidably at tached to said mounting plates and engaging the night portion of said rod for moving the same beyond the .de-

tent, and a keeper strap provided on the mounting plate adjacent "but spaced from sai'dfdetent',-the 'bight portion of said rod extending through the space "between the detent and said lkeeper strap and being sustained in engagement wti'n the former by the'latter.

the members 33 from dropping downwardly or away a from the plate 16, while it moves past the detents '25 dnring'ioldingand "unfolding of the struts, as indicated at 34 in 'Figure 3. The inner end portion of the unlocking bar 26 is provided with a transverse keeper pin which *is engageable with the lug 27 and prevents the 1 barfiom being withdrawn from the lugs 27, '28.

While in the foregoing there'has been described and shown the preferred embodiment of the invention, various modifications may become appa'rent to those skilled in the art to which the invention relates. Accordingly,

. itishot desired to limit the invention to this disclosure and various modifications maybe resorted to, such as may lie'within'the spirit and scope-of the appended claims.

What'is claimed as new is; w *1. A collapsible 'supportingdevice for drop leaves, comprising "a mounting plate adapted to'be securedto the underside of a drop leaf, a plurality of foldable struts 2. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said means ivotally connecting said struts to said mounting p'late comprise a pair of spaced apertured ears provided on said mounting plate at op'o'site sides of the upper end of each of said struts, and pivot pins connecting the upper ends of thestruts'to salidears.

3. The device as defined in claim 1 wherein said de tent and said keeper strap are formed integrally with and struck out from said mounting plate. i

References Cited in the tile of this patent 

